Play Gung Pow for Free

This game's design verges on the minimal, despite its focus on celebration and festivity. All of the game symbols are relatively simple in design and the overall aspect is a smooth and deep red which helps to give the game an uncluttered appearance. What's more, the Chinese believe that the colour red brings good fortune and wealth – so what other colour could this slot machine possibly be?

Even though this slot machine is fairly basic to look at, it still manages to use its Asian theme to transport players to the far east by using authentic oriental music and firework sound effects whenever a winning combination is spun. Still, it does feel like the game is lacking in action. Perhaps a bit of top-class animation would have served to give the game a truly explosive level of entertainment.

Instead, all we have to look at are some static firework symbols such as small firecrackers, dazzing sparklers, and rockets. Punters will also find some more game symbols indicative of Chinese New Year traditions which are perhaps less volatile. For example, there are red Chinese lanterns as well as red envelopes, which are commonly given out during the festivities to friends and family. There is also a commemorative Chinese New Year coin, which is the game's scatter icon.

The scattering coin is a very special little symbol indeed. Not only does it reward wins regardless of whether it appears on consecutive reels, but it will also trigger a round of 15 free spins if three or more appear at any one time. Ok, so you're probably thinking that this is nothing special considering that pretty much every modern online slot offers free games. But, these free spins have the potential to significantly boost your betting balance since all wins will be multiplied by 3x. No fancy gimmicks, no crazy features, just triple wins. It is during this bonus feature that players have the chance to win 90,000 credits which will be of interest to players using the game on real money casino sites.

There are no such wins available in normal play, however. In fact, the biggest possible win during the normal game will only offer 7,500 credits from a maximum bet of 62.50. That pay out will be rewarded if you find five firework rocket symbols and the next highest pay out is 6250 from five scattering coins. Red envelopes will pay 5,000 while red lanterns offer 3,750. The sparklers reward 1,875 and firecrackers will give 1,250. There are also some smaller wins available if you line up the generic playing card values such as 9, 10, J, Q, K and A.

These may seem like quite low pay outs when compared to some other slot machines, but bear in mind that there are 243 different ways to line up winning combinations – so you should receive a little win on a relatively frequent basis. Essentially, all you have to do is find matching images on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel going right. Plus, there is also a Gung Pow Wild card which will appear on reels 2 and 4. This will come to your aid by acting as all game symbols (except the scatter) in order to fill in winning sequences.

Even if you are unsatisfied with a winning spin, there is always an option to boost it with a double or nothing gamble game. This side game takes players to a new screen where a playing card is shown face down. Can you guess the correct colour to double your winnings or will you go back to the reels empty-handed?

In many ways, Gung Pow has a classic slot sensibility. The whole game is designed in a simple manner and there isn't too much going on outside of the spinning action to warrant any huge surprises. This may be a deterring factor for some players who want big and bold action. However, this oriental slot machine from Microgaming still promises plenty of minor entertainment with its triple value free spins and 243 ways to win.